Need help deciding on schools to apply

Hi Rachel,

Thank you for your post!

Considering that you are interested in Darden, does that mean you are looking for MBA programs on the smaller side? What about Darden has piqued your interest? In terms of your general chances, I can see several potential strengths in your candidacy, so it would be great to get to know what matters to you in terms of an MBA experience. It would also help to know your GMAT score. While not a sole determining factor in the admissions process, it is one of many key data points that would be useful.

Given your career interest in general management, you could consider a range of schools. Yale School of Management is on the smaller side (like Darden) and is known for their support of students in non-profit. Given your interest in tech, you may consider being closer to Silicon Valley, e.g. Berkeley / Haas, UCLA / Anderson. We also just heard from Olivia Kelley at the AIGAC conference that 15% of Babson graduates found companies upon graduation, if you are more inclined toward start-ups. Wharton, CBS and INSEAD also spoke about their strengths in entrepreneurship at the AIGAC conference. This is a preliminary list based on your mention of tech/start-up/non-profit, but there are several factors you will want to consider, such as location, size of the student body, etc. Overall, all of the top MBA programs are well-equipped to prepare you for a career in general management. Therefore, it may help you to further refine and enrich your career vision; that way, you can determine the specific skills and experience you want from an MBA.

Please feel free to contact us for a free consultation if you would like to discuss your career history, career plans and school prospects further: https://www.clearadmit.com/services/free-consultation/